Off the Wall
One great thing about working on a big project that takes years is it leaves time for serendipity. Last week I received an email about Sita Sings the Blues from one MV Bhaskar, who seemed unusually knowledgeable about Ramayana interpretations. After a few emails back and forth, I learned he is behind an ambitious project to digitally archive the ancient temple murals of Tamil Nadu. Many of these murals depict stories from the Ramayana.
Earlier this year I was so frustrated in my attempts to access good antique Ramayana images, I started faking my own. So learning about the mural archive set off a pavlovian salivation response. From the few low-res images posted here, it looks like they are really beautiful. So now, in addition to my mediocre phony Mughal miniatures, I dream of animating some of these 500-year-old beauties.
Even if that doesn't work out, the mural site is pretty inspiring, and I'm eager to watch it grow. Bhaskar also produced Uur - A Video Essay on Tamil and Tribology, a public-domain audio archive of tribal songs of Orissa. That site includes several videos, including this slightly mind-blowing one of 2 kids singing into a "microphone" and "cassette recorder."
Comments:
You must go to Orissa given a chance I was there earliar this year for the Grand Rath Yatra of Lord Jagarnath in Puri. Orissa has such a rich artistic heritage it is amazing from a paiting to dance to you name it. The tribal regions are another world by themselves.
By the way I loved Sita Sings the Blue and I was happy when you commented on my blog.
highly imaginative and creative.
To be creative is a gift of god.
Be yourself. God Bless you.
Suryanarayanan S.
http://movieraghas.blogspot.com
Nina, this is a fantastic lead. Good luck with it. Had no idea this existed! And I've been researching historic India for years. If you ever get out to eyeball it yourself, do let us know.
Of course I keep peering at the pic on my screen ... looking for details he he he
Marcus.
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